How To Clean A Water Cooler With Vinegar. The vinegar will help clean the cooler and will also help remove any odors that may be lingering inside. Some debris can get inside it.
Mix 1 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of warm water and pour this into the cooler's reservoir. When doing this, be cautious and make sure that no bleach or vinegar is left in the parts of the cooler. Remove the water guard from the inside of the cooler if needed.
Cleaning with a vinegar solution.
Clean the reservoir and the valves with clean water to remove the vinegar from it. Unplug the water cooler and remove the old, empty bottle. Cleaning out your water cooler every time you change the bottle will prevent mold and other pathogens from growing in the wet environment. Since water can sometimes sit in the reservoir for longer periods of time without moving, there is a chance that you could see some buildup or bacteria in the reservoir.